


To Make it Work

by everythingsshiny



Series: Communication [3]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Anal Sex, Fluff, M/M, Mute Levi, Tooth-Rotting Sweetness, and one very eventful market trip, blind erwin, retired losers in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-06
Updated: 2014-11-06
Packaged: 2018-02-24 07:16:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2572919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/everythingsshiny/pseuds/everythingsshiny
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Being a retired soldier in a relationship with your former commander brings some complications, especially when you can't speak to each other. But Levi and Erwin are making it work.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Make it Work

**Author's Note:**

> It's been waayyyyyy too long since I posted anything here. And I have a few excuses but honestly none of them are good. Please forgive me. 
> 
> Here's the end of the series that was supposed to be a one-shot! Hope you like it. This fic directly follows "No Longer Speaking" and "But Talking Enough," so reading those two first is highly encouraged.
> 
> As always, dedicated to the dear friend Ame.

Levi hates market trips.

Most days, Erwin goes to a small corner market near their house and picks up some basics. It’s never crowded, the people there are friendly, and Erwin can find the way even without seeing. But once a week or so, the two of them need to go to the bigger market in the center of town. This is something Levi would much prefer to do by himself, but Erwin is an obnoxiously stubborn bastard who insists on coming along.

Erwin carries the basket to be useful, but he always ends up being more of a bother than a help. Levi spends the entirety of those trips with a hand on Erwin’s elbow, tugging in one direction or pushing in the other to make sure Erwin doesn’t trip over anything. After a couple hours of doing this while Erwin’s smiles calmly, utterly careless of his well-being, Levi wants to upend that basket over Erwin’s head.

Levi examines a fruit stall, looking for the least bruised or grimy piece of produce. Meanwhile, the merchant is chattering away about how his fruit is the freshest or some such shit. That is, at least, one of the benefits of having Erwin around. He can charm whatever merchant they’re dealing with, distracting him from getting in the way until Levi has decided on his purchase.

This particular merchant talks even more than the rest of them. Levi looks up to see what’s distracting Erwin from his job.

And Erwin isn’t there.

Levi anxiously scans the crowd, and then scans it again when he doesn’t see Erwin’s blond head towering above everyone else. He has to stand on tip-toes to get a better view, and even then he doesn’t see Erwin until he does a little hop to see over a particularly tall group of men. Finally, he sees where Erwin mixed in with the crowd several yards away. Levi sets off after him, ignoring the merchant’s confused calls.

He ducks and weaves through the crowd, using his small stature to his advantage until he arrives at where he saw Erwin. But then, of course, Erwin is no longer there.

Levi cranes his neck and thinks of how angry he is at Erwin in order to block out how fucking worried he’s feeling.

It’s by luck that Levi finally comes across Erwin. He ducks out of the crowd to a row of barrels at the market’s edge, planning to stand on one to see into the crowd. Erwin’s sitting on one of the shorter barrels. And he’s somehow collected a crowd of very small admirers.

“I was flying through a forest of titans, and all of them snapping at me, trying to swallow me whole. I missed death by inches. And one of them,” Erwin makes a chopping motion at his arm stump, “got a taste of my arm.”

The children burst out in a series of exclamations, while a couple particularly gruesome little boys shout out, “Was there a lot of blood?” “Could you see your bone?”

“Did it hurt?” a wide-eyed little girl asks.

“Oh, it hurt terribly,” Erwin says. “But I didn’t have time to think about the pain. I needed to save Eren. So I kept going, past dozens of other titans--”

Levi grabs Erwin by his empty sleeve and yanks, much to the dismay of Erwin’s audience.

“Hey! Mister! Stop that! Mr. Erwin still needs to finish his story.”

Levi tugs harder. Erwin’s such a giant that he can’t actually move Erwin in this way, but hopefully Erwin will get the hint.

But then one little brat just has to pipe up, “Are you Captain Levi?”

Levi freezes. Shakes his head vehemently. But that doesn’t prevent Erwin from saying, “Yes, he is.”

And now the brats are all saying “woahhhh” and asking him a million questions about what it’s like to kill titans and if he’s _really_ the strongest person in all humanity, and Levi is going to poison all of Erwin’s food. He’s going to rearrange all the furniture in their house without telling Erwin and watch what happens.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Levi unfortunately can’t answer your questions,” Erwin says, all the politeness as if he’s talking to the Sina elite. “He’s lost his voice.”

The wide-eyed girl helpfully offers, “My mom gives me herbal tea when I lose my voice.”

“Thank you, we’ll take that into consideration.” Levi gives a firm yank to Erwin’s sleeve. “And now Captain Levi and I must be going. I’m terribly sorry. It was nice to meet all of you.”

A chorus of tiny voices whine and protest as Levi pulls Erwin along behind him.

*****

Levi shoves Erwin as soon as they return to their house. He’s found shoving to be a pretty decent replacement for his old snappy insults.

“I’m sorry,” Erwin says. He places their basket of groceries on the kitchen table, so accustomed to the house that he knows where everything is without seeing it. “I felt someone push against my arm and thought it was you. By the time I realized it wasn’t, I had lost you.”

Levi sighs audibly. The sigh means that he’s forgiven Erwin, but he’s still exasperated. He doesn’t even know when that became a signal or how he knows Erwin will understand, but he does. It seems that with each day that passes, a new signal develops between the two of them that helps them communicate.

“I am sorry. And I’m sorry for the children as well. That was an accident. Though,” and Erwin smiles in Levi’s direction, “you could have had more patience for them. They only wanted to hear stories.”

Levi sighs again. He hates children, and Erwin knows that. And besides, he doesn’t want Erwin telling stories. No need for Erwin to go back to that time. There hadn’t been any nightmares for weeks, and Levi wants to keep it that way.  

Erwin takes the two steps needed to close the distance between the two of them and runs his hand down Levi’s cheek. “I’m sorry to have worried you,” he whispers. And then he kisses him.

The kiss makes Levi’s body freeze and his heart jolt. It’s warm, and it’s sweet, and it’s _Erwin_. And Levi still doesn’t know what to do with the fact that Erwin sometimes kisses him, but he definitely likes it.

It had been about a week since they realized they shared feelings for each other, and a week since they . . . had a moment. The very, very intimate moment. Since then things had been . . . intimate. Though not quite as intimate. Except for a couple days ago, when Levi returned the favor for Erwin.

But there’d been a lot of kissing, and they’d been falling asleep very close to each other, and it’s all very confusing but also very pleasant.

Levi’s eyelids flutter closed. By the time Erwin pulls away, he’s completely forgotten what had been upsetting him.

*****

Levi reads to Erwin after dinner, as always. He picks up a new book, one he had never heard of before, and traces out the words on Erwin’s hand. Erwin repeats them carefully. He still says each one reverently, as if he’s speaking a secret message relayed one word at a time.

“saw . . . in . . . his . . . eyes . . . that . . . Levi, is this a romance?”

Levi stops. He looks down at the book, horrified. There is nothing on the cover hinting that it would be a romance. Why would Erwin even _have_ a romance?

He skims over the last few sentences they had read. They were written from the point of view of a female character and they described, in depth, the appearance and behavior of a male character. He would have never thought of it as romantic, but now that he looks a little harder he can see why Erwin does.

Still, the book is described as a mystery in the introduction. It’s not his fault there’s a stupid romantic subplot.

On Erwin’s hand, he traces out the words, “kind of.” Then he spells out, “I’ll get a new one.”

“No, I’m enjoying this one,” Erwin says. “I was just curious. Please, continue.”

So Levi does, and sure enough, there’s a budding romance between these two characters. When they kiss, Levi hesitates, looks up at Erwin’s face after each word to get a hint that he should stop. But he never gets that hint. Erwin’s expression is the same as it always is when they read together.

When they finally do close the book, and Levi marks their page and lets out a sigh of relief, Erwin says, “I wish I could see your eyes again.”

Levi remembers over a week ago, when Erwin confessed wishing he could see what Levi looked like when he woke up. Levi takes Erwin’s hand and raises it to his face.

“I miss their color,” Erwin says. But he brushes his fingers across Levi’s brow and eyelids nevertheless.

When Erwin lowers his hand, Levi traces on it, “the color is boring.”

“The . . . color . . . is . . . boring . . .” Erwin chuckles and shakes his head. “Oh, Levi. They change depending on your mood, did you know that?”

Levi stares up at Erwin and wonders if he’s going crazy.

“They appear darker when you’re upset. I could always read your mood by the color of your eyes.”

Levi doesn’t know what to do with this information. For some reason, it feels as baffling as Erwin’s kisses.

Erwin sighs and stands. “I’m going to bed. Will you join me?”

Levi stands and follows Erwin to his bedroom. His own, across the hall, has been gathering dust for about two weeks now.

*****

They lie in Erwin’s bed with their bodies curving in towards each other. Levi’s knees brush against Erwin’s, his fingers curl together an inch away from Erwin’s chest. It’s dark, and Levi notices Erwin’s soft breathing and feels strange, confusing feelings.

“Levi,” Erwin whispers. Levi’s eyes snap open, and he listens.

“I’m sorry, were you asleep?” Erwin asks. Levi let’s one hand travel down to where Erwin’s rests on the mattress, and he signals “no.”

So Erwin raises his hand and takes a good look at Levi’s face. Levi’s smiling by the time Erwin’s fingers reach his lips.

“Do you ever think this is too easy?” Erwin lowers his hand back to the mattress, and Levi takes it to aid their conversation. “This house, this life . . . do you ever think it’s impossible that something so good has happened to us?”

Levi squeezes “yes.” Yes, their lives are much too good to be true.  

“Levi . . .” Erwin begins speaking again. “I bought some oil at the market today. For whenever you’re ready, whenever you want to. Please don’t feel pressured to--”

Levi presses his fingers against Erwin’s lips to keep him from talking. Then he kisses him. He wraps his arms and legs around Erwin’s body and pulls the big dumbass as close as possible. And Levi concentrates on the feeling of Erwin’s body up against his as he presses his face into Erwin’s neck. He holds on, because while this may be too good to be true, if he holds Erwin tightly enough he knows that it is true after all.

*****

The next night, they’re kissing before they even make it to the bed.

It’s a cold night, and they stay close for warmth even as they walk down the hall. When they reach their bedroom, Erwin wraps an arm around Levi. The hold is cozy in a way Levi has barely felt before. So he kisses him. Strains up on his toes and balances his hands against Erwin’s shoulders and presses his lips lightly against Erwin’s. And, as usual, Erwin kisses back.

They collapse onto the bed together, first sitting down (with their chests pressed together and their arms wrapped around each other’s bodies and their noses bumping together) and then lying on their sides. Erwin curls his leg up over Levi’s and Levi nestles up against his chest. It’s still cozy, so Levi keeps kissing him.

At one point Erwin stops and says, “We should probably get undressed for bed.”

Levi agrees. He starts to unbutton Erwin’s shirt, kissing at every inch of skin the buttons reveal.

“Wait, that’s not what--” But Erwin drowns out his own words with soft laughter followed by content sighs. He kicks off his shoes, so Levi does too, and then their legs tangle together.

It isn’t long before Levi undoes the last button and kisses at Erwin’s navel, just above the edge of his pants. He hasn’t kissed this area yet. It’s sweet and smooth.

“Levi,” Erwin mutters. Levi looks up expectantly after placing one last kiss just to the right of his belly button.

Erwin’s hand crosses his shoulder and dips down to the front of his shirt. He fumbles at Levi’s collar, and it takes a moment for Levi to realize what Erwin’s doing. When he does, he sits up and complies by unbuttoning his shirt himself. He tosses it off the side of the bed and lies back down next to Erwin.

“Thank you,” Erwin says. The air is chilly on his bare skin, but next to Erwin he’s plenty warm. “May I look?”

Levi squeezes, and Erwin begins to look.

There is no gaze tenderer than Erwin’s. Sometimes Levi’s even thankful that Erwin has lost his eyesight because Erwin’s current gaze is better than any real stare. The strong hand brushes carefully across every inch of Levi’s skin, lingering here and there as if to memorize the exact width of Levi’s hip or the exact texture of the skin at the nape of his neck.

Erwin undoes Levi’s pants and pushes them down, so Levi obliges by wriggling out of them. He pushes off his underwear too, leaving himself bare before Erwin.

So Erwin continues to look, just like the other night. He trails his hand over the outside of Levi’s leg, down to the knee, and then brings it back up the inside. Fingers brush across his balls and down the length of his penis.

“Levi,” Erwin says. He hand rests against Levi’s inner thigh, making that spot pleasantly warm. “The oil’s in the drawer of the nightstand.”

Levi freezes. For a second, he feels panicked. He hasn’t been with anyone in more years than he can count, and he’s never been with a man before.

But he gets it anyway because this is Erwin, and because he wants this as much as Erwin does.

When he turns back around he sees Erwin slipping out of his pants. He’s hard, too, but Levi’s eyes are drawn not only to that, but to Erwin’s legs, Erwin’s hips, every beautiful inch of him.

Erwin smiles the minute Levi looks at him, as if he can somehow tell. “Let’s get in bed,” he says. “It’s freezing.”

Levi burrows under the covers and scoots over for Erwin to join. He can’t resist dipping his fingers across Erwin’s hip to rest against his ass. It’s firm from years of using the gear, and big enough that his hand doesn’t even cover one cheek, and Levi loves it.

Erwin sighs at the touch and kisses him. “May I have some oil?” he whispers against Levi’s lips.

Levi sits up and takes Erwin’s hand. He uncaps the bottle and pours a little on the tips of his fingers. Then he dives back underneath the covers. Erwin’s right. It’s too cold to be outside the bed.

“Come closer,” Erwin asks. So Levi moves forward and rests his head in the hollow of Erwin’s neck.

Erwin’s slick fingers dip into Levi’s hole. He swirls his index finger around the opening before carefully pushing it in. Levi gasps at the sensation, digs his nails into Erwin’s skin and tries to keep himself from thrashing too much. He’s never been touched in this way before. The feeling lights every nerve in his body on fire. It’s the most complete, glorious feeling he can remember, and he clenches down to try to get more of it.

“How is that?” Erwin asks, as if it could be anything other than perfect. Levi responds by pulling himself closer and kissing Erwin’s collarbone.

So Erwin pushes in a little deeper. He moves the finger around in a slow, circular motion, spreading out Levi’s walls. Levi digs his face into Erwin’s shoulder and pushes back, desperate to get more friction. Erwin doesn’t give it to him, though. He continues moving slowly and steadily, making sure Levi’s as stretched out as possible.

When Erwin’s finally satisfied, he adds a second finger. The sensation becomes stronger, his body burning with pleasure. He pants into Erwin’s skin as Erwin scissors his fingers back and forth.

“You’re so tight,” Erwin murmurs. If he had his tongue, Levi would have snapped something at him, or at least told him to shut up. But he can’t, so he merely concedes to the touch.

Erwin crooks his fingers, hits Levi in just the right spot, and Levi throws his head back in a silent scream. Every former sensation pales in comparison with this. His entire body is screaming with delight as Erwin massages that spot.

“Right there?” Erwin asks, and Levi doesn’t even have the presence of mind to find a way to answer the question. His loud gasps do that for him.

Erwin continues to massage the spot, and Levi can see him smiling as he does so. His eyes are closed out of habit, and his smile is gentle and peaceful. Levi can’t imagine why having his hand up someone else’s ass is so delightful, but the sight makes him smile a little in return.

Erwin’s hand disappears, and Levi squirms in its absence. He wriggles closer to Erwin and clenches his hands around Erwin’s shoulders. His cock brushes up against Erwin’s, and he begins thrusting him, desperate for some relief.

“Ohh . . . oh, Levi.” Erwin tilts his head to kiss the top of Levi’s head. “Levi . . .” he breathes again.

Levi’s stretched his hand around both of their cocks and is slowly rocking back and forth.

“Don’t stop,” Erwin whispers. So Levi continues rutting against him as Erwin dips his hand behind Levi. He slides three fingers inside Levi, once again setting Levi’s body on fire. Levi thrusts harder in response. They’re smearing precome against each other as Levi clenches his muscles around Erwin’s fingers. He feels enveloped by the pleasure, barely knows what’s happening except that Erwin is on all sides of him, and it’s perfect.

Erwin eventually pulls his fingers out, satisfied that Levi is prepared enough. He rests the oil-slicked fingertips on Levi’s ass and whispers, “Levi, I need more oil.”

Levi stops moving. He sits up to reach over Erwin for the bottle, and he feels like his hole is throbbing, begging for something to fill it up again.

Levi kneels next to Erwin. The air is frigid outside of the blankets, creating goosebumps on his skin. Levi shivers as he pours oil over his fingers. He lowers his hand to Erwin’s cock and strokes it, covering it in the thick liquid. Levi’s careful to make his touch gentle and sweet. He draws long strokes up the whole length and then presses his fingertips into the slit, massages the tip with his thumb. Erwin sighs and seems to sink into the bed with pleasure. To finish off, Levi encircles Erwin’s cock in his fist and gives two long, firm strokes.

“Ohhh . . . Levi . . .” Erwin moans.

Levi smiles, satisfied at what he’s accomplished, and dives back under the covers. He worms himself as close to Erwin as possible and shivers with the sudden change of temperature. Erwin kisses him hard and circles his finger around the edges of Levi’s opening.

“Lie back for me, please,” Erwin whispers. And Levi obeys.

Levi bends his legs and spreads them apart, making room for Erwin kneel between them. He leans over Levi and rests on his elbow, covering Levi’s body with his warmth and weight as he gives him a deep, long kiss.

When he pulls away, Levi reaches for Erwin in protest. His hand connects with Erwin’s hip, and he holds tightly and tugs to tell Erwin what he wants. Erwin responds by sitting up and lowering his hand to Levi. He feels across Levi’s balls and the sensitive skin behind them until he reaches Levi’s hole. Using his hand as a guide, Erwin begins to slide himself inside.

Levi’s panting. He pushes himself down onto Erwin, but Erwin continues to move slowly. “Does this feel okay?” he asks.

Levi squeezes “yes” from where he’s holding on to Erwin’s hip, so Erwin keeps going. He pushes until he’s completely inside. Every inch Erwin gives makes Levi gasp. He feels full, feels as though Erwin is in every bit of him. He wraps his legs around Erwin’s waist to pull him closer and watches as Erwin sighs and moans.

“Levi . . . you feel so lovely . . .”

The comment makes Levi shiver. He tugs on Erwin’s waist with his legs, and Erwin hears the message. He pulls out a little and glides back in. It takes a few more experimental thrusts before Erwin’s willing to pick up the rhythm, and even then his movements are slow and gentle. They’re sure, though, and satisfying. More than satisfying. Levi feels filled and completed in a way he never has before. It’s not just erotic; it’s beautiful. Erwin is beautiful, with his mouth half open and his eyes closed and the blankets falling of his heaving shoulders, and the feeling of Erwin inside of him is beautiful. Erwin moves slowly against him, and Levi doesn’t push him to go faster.

After all, they have the rest of their lives to be together like this.

Erwin reaches forward and runs his fingertips across Levi’s stomach and chest. His fingers brush against Levi’s nipples, still sensitive from the cold, and Levi sighs at the beauty of the touch. Erwin leans forward and places kisses on Levi’s collarbone, on his shoulder, spends time tracing his lips over the hollow of Levi’s throat. And in between each kiss he whispers, “So beautiful . . . so lovely. . . so perfect . . .” And after each word, Levi lets himself relax into Erwin’s caresses a little more.

Erwin comes first. He whispers, “Oh, Levi,” as a shudder runs through him. Levi feels himself filled up with warmth as Erwin sits up and takes Levi’s cock in his hand. He continues thrusting into Levi as he pumps his hand up and down Levi’s shaft. The strokes of Erwin’s hand match with his thrusts, and Levi, in a moment of pure bliss, comes all over Erwin’s fingers.

Levi feels the world slowly come back into focus. Erwin is next to him, panting. He, too, is panting, and his gasps keep time with Erwin’s. Their arms brush up against each other as they feel the other’s presence and hear the other’s breathing and marvel in what had just happened.

Levi climbs out of bed. He hears Erwin call his name, confused, but Erwin’s comforted when a damp towel is placed into his hands. Levi lies back down and wraps his arms around Erwin’s neck as he lets Erwin clean him up.

“Did I get everything?” Erwin asks when he finishes. His voice is still breathless. Levi gently guides his hand to a spot on his stomach that he hadn’t reached. Erwin wipes it up and then turns the cloth to himself.

Once Erwin’s finished, Levi moves himself closer. He wraps his legs between Erwin’s legs and burrows his head into the hollow between Erwin’s neck and shoulder. Erwin pulls him close in response, tangling his arm around Levi’s back and holding.

“Was that good?” Erwin asks. And Levi would laugh, if he could, because good doesn’t even come close to describing it.

Levi doesn’t want to untangle himself enough to squeeze Erwin’s hand, so he responds with his lips instead. He kisses Erwin’s neck and shoulder and the spot where they meet, and Erwin is satisfied.

“I’m glad,” he says. “Thank you, Levi. Thank you.” Levi gives him another kiss to show him that he’s welcome, any time, and then closes his eyes to fall asleep.

“Levi . . .” Erwin whispers. “I am . . . this is perfect. You are perfect.”

Levi keeps his head in the hollow of Erwin’s neck and shakes it, knowing Erwin will feel the movement. No, he wants to say, he’s far from perfect.

“No, you are,” Erwin says. “It’s more than I deserve.”

Levi doesn’t know how to respond, so he waits to see if Erwin will say any more. Against his back, Erwin’s hand has slowly started to move down.

“So much more than I deserve,” he says again, almost inaudible.

Levi remembers the night before, what Erwin had said about this being too good to be true. He has a point. All of this—their house and their love and the nice little life they’re living—all of this is more than they would have ever expected for themselves.

And Levi would be lying if he were to claim that it never frightened him. That he never imagined the allies of the old king knocking down their door, or the titans reappearing, or something happening to Erwin . . . 

Levi doesn’t like saying things outright, he’d rather his actions speak for themselves. But he thinks Erwin needs it (and maybe he needs it, too).

With the index finger of Levi’s right hand, he traces out words on Erwin’s bare chest. As he does so, Erwin says each word, repeating the message back to Levi.

“It’s . . . not . . . more . . . than . . . you . . . deserve.” And then, “I . . . love . . . you.”

Erwin kisses Levi and whispers, “I love you, too.” They fall asleep curled up against each other, content and peaceful.

**Author's Note:**

> I chose the titles of each work in this series with the intention that they would make one sentence when strung together. See it?


End file.
